Suddenly I See
by 221-heartlines
Summary: When Eponine the waitress in the ABC cafe seeks comfort from her stoney marble friend things take a turn for the un expected. (i know it's not very original) Enjonine one shot (please review i want to improve thanks)


**AN-I'm not quite sure what to put in this because this is my first fanfic. I would really appreciate any feedback because i'm not sure about my writing.  
This is inspired by some of the Enjonine Fanfics i have read, this is a modern AU from Eponine's point of view. it's a one shot just because i have no idea how to carry it on. it has two bits of language that you should look out for :) **

**I don't own Les Miserables because A i'm not french B I'm not from the 19th century C i'm not a genius! **

**hope you like it. ( i don't know were to put the rating so i would say it's about a T )**

As i reached up to grab the stack of coffee cups and my grey sloppy joe top slipped down my arms reviling the criss cross of white scars and bruises snaking across my forearms. Panicked i pulled the unforgiving sleeves down. shaken. I glanced around checking that no-one had noticed. Looking over the polished counter i saw the Enjolras's blue eyes darting from my arms to my face. "damn" i muttered to myself he had noticed. Pleading with my eyes he gave me a kurt nod. I took this to mean that he wouldn't tell. As i edged out from behind the counter he bent down and whispered in my ear "later" his proximity made my battered heart quicken. This annoyed me to no end. The rest if the night continued without incident unless you count Enjolras loosing his temper with Marius. But what was a night out without the odd scuff between them?. From the counter i could see them laughing and joking, talking of their feee the end of the night as the customers petered out one by one or in little groups i began to lock up the ABC cafe. Just as i was turning off the lights i felt someone behind me because of the darkened setting i jumped instinctively crossing my arms over my face and pressed my back against the wall of shelves behind the counter. I herd a sharp intake of breath. Shakily i looked up i saw a blurred outline through my tears. I recognised the statuesque figure of Enjolras mentally kicking myself at how weak i was being.I darted out of the swing door. But i didn't get very far down the hall way before i stopped. Trembling i collapsed i to a heap. It had been a long time since i had felt threatened like that. Not since i had left home. I herd footsteps. And then someone sitting on the cold ground beside me. Resigned to look up i herd a familiar voice "ponine?" "ponine i'm sorry" i shook my head still not looking up pressing my head further into my arms. I then felt his arm round my shoulders pulling me into a consoling hug. Trembling i began to cry silently into the lapel of his coat "ponine" his voice was lower gentler now, he rocked my in a consoling motion every now and then shushing me softly " ponine what happened. You can trust me. I can help" it was a statement. But it sounded more like pleading I just shook my head and pressed my head agains his shoulder. After a while i took a shaky gulp of air and looked up. My tear filled eyes meeting his piercing blue ones in a moment of understanding.

"i'm sorry Enj" i said shakily trying to stand but he grabbed my wrist. There was no malice in his action but it sent a pang of fear through me non the less i felt totally vulnerable. it had been along time since anyone had seen me cry like this. Maybe he saw this in me because he dropped it quickly with concern etched on every line if his face. I lent back down leaning on his shoulder again and began to talk in a shaky quite voice that wasn't exactly my own .

" when i was 6 my parents brought an inn we were a perfect family" had he picked up the bitterness in my voice?

"Until this blonde child my age was brought into the inn by a street rat mother who couldn't afford to look after her. We treated her awfully here is nothing to condone what i did. The pretty girl was rescued by a poor man who turned out to be very rich. The man never gave his name. Looking back on it my parents would have sold her to anyone or to think of this they would sell anyone of us!. She was taken away, this little blonde urchin who's name was Cosette " I herd a small intake of breath from Enjolras as if he was about to speak but he said nothing and for this i was grateful for this be because now i had started i didn't think i would be able to stop. "A short time after our inn was shut down for tax invasion and other things. Ma started to drink until she was unaware of what was going on at every hour in the day. She was arrested for disorderly conduct and set to a rehab centre in the south of france. All this time my father was thinking of new money making schemes each time one failed he would get angrier until one day when i was 12 he hit me squarely across the face. As time progressed the beatings got worse as i grew more able to take them." He had defiantly noticed it that time i felt is arm tighten on my shoulder "when i was 16 he agreed to betroth me to this low life piece of dirt. And He hit me to. When zelm and Roche were growing up i tried to protect them from the kinds of beating that i had. My father left in search of new work 4 months ago i took my chance. Got a job and moved out I got a scholarship. Zelm didn't want to leave. So every day i went back to check on her. One day i got back and she was gone. I-i-never saw her..." But i couldn't finnish i lent my face into his shoulder again sobbing. "Shhh. Look its ok your safe. Shhh" he was talking to me in that same low gentle voice again. I looked up my face wet with tears and saw a pain in his blue eyes. Ge bent his face down to mine and kissed me very gently on the lips. I pulled away my eyes wide. "What...what...what was that?" I stuttered. Enjolras's eyes were just as wide. "I'm sorry, i really am".He looked a little bit lost. With out saying another word he got up and darted out of the door.I sat motionless for a while shocked. I touched my lips, just checking what had just happened. Through my shock one thought re emerged over and over. "Damn he's a real good kisser" smiling to myself i picked herself up all previous fear forgotten i continued locking up. My heart considerably lighter than it was before.

Enjolras sat in his car stunned at what he had just done. Éponine was one of his best friends. He had screwed it up proper this time. He was referred to by his friends as the marble man. Could it be possible his marble exterior was cracking?

As Enjolras unlocked his door his roommate (Grantaire) automatically saw that something was wrong with his oldest friend. Even through the drunken stupor that Grantaire's life was the look on his friends face automatically sobered him up . Rising from the battered couch Grantaire walked over to him "Enj?" He said any traces of his normal mocking tone gone. "What happened?" Enjolras shaking himself out of his revery brushed off his friends concern. "Nothing" Enjolras deposited his keys in the dish and then swept off upstairs. Leaving Grantaire utterly confused

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The next morning i woke up just before dawn. I was in the room that i had hoped i would have share with my sister. When i had fist moved in she had claimed the bed which was fine. I had made myself a small nest which kept me adequately warm. I had no furniture accept Zelm's bed and a battered wardrobe pushed in the corner and a battered book-shelf that was full to bursting. The rest of our stuff lay on boxes that I used as tables. Standing up i stretched seeing the scars on my arms the events of last night washed back over me. My chest tightened, at the prospect of seeing him again. How would i breach the very awkward gap between me and my best friend. Sighing i Changed dragged a comb through my hair tied it into a pony tail. Pulled my patched coat on grabbed my bag and keys and flitted out of the door.

draped

On the other side of town Enjolras woke early too he changed quickly he descended the stairs and snuck past Grantaire who was passed out on the sofa. And draped a fleece over him. He then twisted out of the door catching it before it closed. His room was the total opposite of Eponine's sparsely furnished box. It was an attic room which was crammed with books and notes. Although they looked like an eclectic mix and disordered jumble of fiction,text books and reference books each had there own place and the majority were connected by theme or title. There was one picture in the room hang in a small wood frame it was of the Le Amis de L'ABC they were all relaxed and jokey in the ABC cafe. Marius had cornered an unsuspected waitress to take this photo. He had this to remind him what he was fighting for.

I hadn't realised how early i had left the house. She arrived just as muschetta pushed the door open. "Wow there sister, since when has you'r shift been this early." The bubbly red head's green eyes sparkled with uncontrollable enthusiasm for the world around her. I was about to explain when i stopped in my tracks "i ... Hang on. Weren't you wearing that Yesterday." I gestured at her outfit to my surprise she giggled and blushed.

"Musch!" i exclaimed nudging her

"No it's nothing" she giggled

"No come on spill" I said grabbing her wrist i sat her down at one of the bar stools.

"Come on tell me" i teased

"Do you no Sebastian?"

"Who Joly!" I exclaimed clapping my hands. Sebastian Joly was our resident hypochondriac. Although studying medicine Joly was the most paranoid person i have ever met. He was also Marius's oldest friend and room mate.

"Yeah" i said slowly

"Aww are you all embarrassed" i goaded

"No"

"then tell me" i whined

"NO! you're to noise for your own good!" she exclaimed fishing in her pocket for her phone. A sure indicator that this conversation had finished.

"Getting up i sighed "fine then. If that's all the information i'm going to get from you then fine..." I tailed off suggestively "i could just ask Joly..."

"No non no" musch stuttered grabbing my wrist. I sat back down proud of my interrogation skills.

"My car broke down and Seb"

"Seb?" I interjected i let out a burst of laughter

"Do you want to hear this story or not"

"Fine"

"OK, where was I? So my car broke down and he offered to give me a lift. He took me back to his flat. I'm not sure were Marius was. He got me a blanket so i could warm up and phoned the car company. He offered me a drink, and i teasingly said, are you trying to get me drunk? and he said yeah,no qualms. I was so taken aback."

"So you slept with him," i said not following.

"Well.. yeah." She said blushing the same colour as her hair.

"Your a lost cause you are." I said departing through the service door. Behind the counter.

"Oi were are you going" she called after me

"This causes for a celebratory cake" i laughed

Humming i turned down the leafy high street as i saw to my mortification Enjolras deep red car pulling down the street. To add to my horror he pulled up along side me.

"Can i tempt you to a lift?" He said sticking his chiseled face out of the window, his blonde curls flopping in his eyes.

"Ummm..." I stuttered not sure were we stood.

Sighing and pushing his hair out of his eyes. "Let me put this another way, get it the car!."

Laughing and momentarily forgetting my embarrassment i clambered in. As soon as i was in the warm interior my face flushed from our proximity. Noticing this he smirked.

"What" i said in mock offence, using the sarcasm to deflect from my total embarrassment.

"Nothing... " There was a couple of minutes silence "But i just assumed that you would be either bombarding me with questions or insults" he chuckled at the look on my face.

"Well what can i say, i let my barricade down. Never let them see the hate thats in your head. " i said tapping my scar ridden arm

"God i didn't even think about your story" he said "i thought you would have more to say about..." There was a awkward moment of silence between us.

"So" he said clearing his throat "were do you want me to drop you off. So taken aback about the change between us that i hadn't notices that we had just been happily roaming round the city centre.

"The bakery on 10th" i said

"Ohhh, yes why's that?" Enjolras said, his natural curiosity breaking through the defensive wall he had put up since i had entered the car.

"I'm kind of sworn to secrecy" i said teasingly.

"Ohh come on you can tell me" he said sending me a dazzling smile, what amused me about Enj was he had no clue how good looking he was, he had a good physique, a even chiselled face with piercing blue eyes, his blonde hair fell in curls in a tousled mess on his head. They always tumbled down onto his eyes. He noticed me studying him. "Ep?" He said gently "ponine you ok?"

"What. yeah" i blinked and looked away but i felt his blue eyes drill into the back of my head.

"So he said what's the bakery in aid of"

"I can't say"

"Ohh please" he whined teasingly "i'd trust you"

"Fine." I said shortly.

"Musch slept with Joly, well if we ate cake every time Musch slept with someone i would be the size if mount everest and more broke than i am already. But she's liked him for like ever and i think something could actually happen i mean you only need that one moment to realise that connection you have with some one..." I trailed of my sentence that had began at the speed of light faltering as my sentence also rang true for me and Enj too. We sat in silence again.

"Right" he said after about 5 minutes "we're here"

"Ohhh ok, i wont be a minute. thanks" i clambered out if the car with difficulty. After i disappeared into the bakery Enjolras sighed. He had messed this up. They had been the closest of friends. Although admittedly they had had a rocky start. Smiling he remembered Eponine stumbling into he ABC looking like a drowned rat. She had looked on the verge of tears. At this point he didn't know her name he only knew her as Marius's shadow. She bustled in and ordered a green tea. But she panicked with no money to pay. Enjolras swept in a bought it for her. To his surprise she rounded in him "I'm no charity case." and she left purposely barging into him on her way out. The next day she sought him out and apologised she had explained she was running so far behind on her cause work. So he offered to tutor her. Again she told him that she was no charity case but she would still accept his help. They became friends through a love of learning. But now Enjolras, thought bitterly, he had ruined that.

"Hey i'm back."i rapped on the window "Enj open the door"

"what?" knocking himself out of the past he pulled open the door for me.

"You get it"

"Yeah."

We continued with meaningless small talk joking about Joly and Musch. Carefully not talking about each other or ourselves. As we pulled up next to the café our talk petered out. We entered the café, but Musch wasn't there. Peering behind the counter i saw a small sticky note pinned to the stack of mugs it read. "Garage called. Car ready. Be a couple of hours. Leave some cake for me. From Musch"

I sighed. "Musch is picking up her car." I reached up to grab two plates and my sleeves fell down again. Reminding me of last night. I felt my embarrassment bubbling up again. I rounded on him

"How dare you kiss me you had no right!" I yelled at him throwing one of the rolled up magazines on the counter at him. He caught it though despite the sudden attack.

His surprise at my abrupt mood change was evident on his face but he just raised an eyebrow and allowed me to continue

"We were fine as friends! and now were all weird again! And i have had such bad luck with love! First it was Montparnasse then it was Marius and i cant do that again! I cant! " i turned away from him trembling from anger. "i mean" i carried on "what if it didn't work out We would both lose our best friend and I mean it's not worth that. I can't love you Enjolras I just can't!"

"I never should have done that" he stood up and walked round behind the counter and stood next to me. " you were venerable and scared and just needed a friend...but 'ponine" he said as i turned to face him "i said nothing about love. That was all you."

I turned round realising what i had admitted before I had realised it myself. "I...i...crap!" he chuckled and he pulled me into a warm embrace. He pressed his face into my hair.

I looked up at him and kissed him on the lips. He looked pleasantly surprised but didn't pull away. After a while he pulled back ever so slightly and pressed his forehead against mine "well i'd call that getting mixed signals" he laughed softly. Brushing a loose strand of hair out of my face. I was about to kiss him again when i herd Musch's keys in the door. We both jumped apart and i began to bustle round getting plates and drinks. Enjolras slid back onto his bar stool just as Musch entered

"Hey." She called

"Hiya we saved cake." I said pulling a face at Enjolras he gave me an encouraging smile the corner of my mouth twitched up in recognition.


End file.
